Without saying it in as many words, Praja Rajyam's spin doctors acknowledged yesterday that Chiranjeevi is unprepared to lead a party or the state. Like I said, they actually did not say it, but their reactions (that is all they seem to do - react) told you all you needed to know. Over the past few weeks Dr YSR, Chiranjeevi, and KCR have allowed themselves to be questioned on some really tough economic and political issues concerning the state. The only exception continues to be Chiranjeevi. He seems busy acknowledging his fans outside his party office and meeting up with political defectors and dubious deal makers inside it. On Tuesday Dr. Mitra gave the game away when he said that "We have made clear our program. We will respond only to the criticism against our policies. We want to put a full stop to unhealthy personal attacks in public life." He was responding to a reporter who asked him about Chiranjeevi's response to criticism by chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu and BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu that the actor had no political glamour.
Let us take a moment here and examine Dr.Mitra’s reply. He says “we have made clear our program.” What program is he referring to? Is he referring to an economic program or is he referring to a party manifesto. There certainly is no program that is worth talking about with any serious consideration whatsoever. And yet Dr Mitra actually tells the media that we have made clear our program. “We will respond only to the criticism against our policies”, he goes on to add. Good stance to take Dr Mitra; provided you declare some policies that can be appreciated or criticized! So the bottom line is Chiranjeevi’s Praja Rajyam neither has a program nor policy. And yet by some holy writ they consider themselves to be the alternative to the Congress government!! Small wonder, an infuriated opposition remarked that Chiranjeevi should stop “dreaming.” Praja Rajyam’s spin doctors immediately rushed in into the defence of their leader saying that Chiranjeevi will not respond to such criticisms because “we want to put a full stop to unhealthy personal attacks in public life.” Even as moments of political pretensions go, this one by far is the most absurd. Lest there be any confusion; neither Dr YSR nor Chandrababu have made any “unhealthy personal attacks” on Chiranjeevi.
However, Chiranjeevi can expect scathing attacks from Chandrababu and Rajasekhar Reddy, but not just yet. These are seasoned politicians who will not waste energies on poke and jab personal attacks. They will instead go for the jugular, once Chiranjeevi announces his party manifesto. And that is where Chiranjeevi has a problem. He just does not inspire the confidence of standing upto these political stalwarts. There are many observers who think that Chiranjeevi lacks a good fight in him. And since the man gives such very little insight into his political passions, it is very difficult to disagree with this line of thought. In direct contrast are the likes of Dr. YSR and Chandrababu Naidu. Whatever their other drawbacks are, these are leaders with willingness to fight, and win. Jalayagnam and IT happened in AP only because of the persistence of Dr YSR and Chandrababu respectively. In contrast Chiranjeevi has yet to identify his party with any single core cause. Instead, he is increasingly developing the habit of hiding behind platitudes and generics of good governance and change. All this gives swing voters, an impression that Chiranjeevi’s Praja Rajyam is not prepared to take the heat of real politics. If that really is the case, Chiranjeevi’s loss can either be Chandrababu’s or Congress’s gain. |
